Chapter 20 - The Takeoff (CitC)
Ludwig stepped up beside the throne. To Tubba's surprise, the younger Iglator appeared much taller and stronger than his father beside him. Ludwig looked commanding, a true leader next to his father, who lay back against the throne, his head in his hands. Bowser is dying! ''Tubba realized with shock. The Koopa King was young, but the many battles against Mario and the injuries he suffered clearly had taken his toll on him. As Tubba inspected Bowser more closely, he saw that the trademark flaming orange hair was actually dotted with specks of gray, and some of the scales on Bowser's legs and arms had started to peel off and die. Compared to his younger son, with glowing scales, young, flowing blue hair, Bowser looked downright shabby. "Vee do not give in." Ludwig spoke, as if it was his decision to make. He let his eyes scan over everyone in the room, from his father lying back on the throne, to Roy, clenching his fists in anger, to the two Clubbas, watching the scene with interest. "I vill get Junior to begin zee preparations on zee Super Bowser Doomship. Vee vill attack zee Comet Observatory and steal zeir Power Stars." "But you said that Power Stars are the most powerful force in the universe." Larry said, looking at Ludwig as if he was crazy. "How is one airship supposed to take down the Comet Observatory?" "Zee Super Bowser Doomship is different. Iggy, if you may give zem zee spiel..." Ludwig nodded at his bespectaled brother, who gave him a thumbs up. "The Super Bowser Doomship is a project begun by Lud, BJ and I." Iggy began, then looked around at his captivated audience. "Wow, this is the first time I've actually had an audience that cares about something we've built!" Ludwig rested a palm on his forehead. "Vatever, Iggy, can you get on vith it?" "Right, sorry Lud." Iggy apologized. "As I was saying, this project was started by Lud, BJ and I. This is no ordinary Doomship. While most of the doomships are enchanted so that we can stay on the deck without exploding in the intense vaccuum of space, this one has more than that one measly enchantment. Ludwig, being talented in magic, BJ, being talented in artillery, and myself, being talented in mechanics and building, we built the outside hull and deck of this ship to be impenetrable." As Iggy paused for breath, Ludwig stepped in. "Right. So, vat Iggy is saying is zat the outside hull is qvite strong. I vouldn't quite say impenetrable," he shot a glance at Iggy, "but I doubt zat anysing much in the universe can break it. Zee first layer is a layer of magic, about, say, tventy feet from the hull. Zee enchantment is vone zat I have devised myself. So, zere is an invisible forcefield around zee ship. If anysing, veapon, laser, missile, hits zis forcefield, zee forcefield absorbs zee energy and diverts it to zee engines." "So then, if it's something that exists in a form that's not just energy," Iggy took over again. "Such as a bullet bill, it begins spiralling toward the hull, having lost all dangerous energy. Obviously, it will still gain some energy, rapidly falling toward the hull, but that's where BJ's defence system comes in. There are lines of bullet bills across every inch of the hull, built to automatically fire when something comes through the enchantment wall. Equipped with a homing device, these bullet bills hit the offending item, and obliterate it." "But obviously zis still is not perfect. If somesing still escapes zee bullet bills, vee have a very strong hull. So zee hull is built out of zee incredibly strong metal zat is reinforced steel and titanium, as vell as being enchanted zat it has a longer lifespan zan normal metals. I sink zat zee only vay to fell zee Super Bowser Doomship is to break it from zee inside." "But dat steel's 'eavy! Surely ya gotta have powerful engines?" Roy asked. "And attacking weapons?" Morton added. "Yes, and yes." Ludwig nodded at both his large siblings, both in the Bowser mould. "Vee have a multitude of incredibly advanced engines and a similar amount of attacking veapons. But I shall not bore you vith the details, especially since vee are pressed for time. Vee need to decide who is going. Zis ship is massive, by zee vay. I estimate it can hold about... Sree szousand Koopas?" "I'm going." Tubba took a step forward. I can be helpful. If something threatens the Koopa Kingdom right now, it's threatening my Kingdom. We need to take out this weapon of ultimate destruction.'' "So am I." Clubbette took a similar step so that she stood beside him. Tubba made sure he took a subtle step away from here. "Right. I vould like you both anyvay. You," he pointed at Clubbette, "for your knowledge on Power Stars, and Tubba for some assistance. I vould also like zat ozzer Clubba. Gonzales, vas that his name?" Ludwig asked Tubba. Tubba nodded. "Yeah, Gonzales. But if Gonzales is coming, then Blizzerd will be too," he warned. "Actually, all the other battlers will be." "Fair enough. Vee could use your skills anyvay." Ludwig assented, "now, I vould like a vord with my siblings and father. If you may head to zee Doomship hangar. I vill get your friends and vee vill take off immediately." It was a dismissal, and Tubba and Clubbette knew it. Together, they turned and walked out of the Throne Hall. However, behind them, they could still hear Ludwig talking quite loudly. It was nothing serious, just a briefing on how one Koopaling - Lemmy - would stay behind with Bowser, and how Bowser Jr. would be in command of the Super Bowser Doomship when it was in the air. Ludwig finished off his rousing speech with the words "To zee Koopa Kingdom!", which was met with applause and cheers from his siblings. Tubba even thought he heard Bowser roar. As they cheered for the Koopa Kingdom behind him, Tubba couldn't supress a fist pump for the Clubba Kingdom. The destruction of the weapon of the Mushroom Kingdom would be the first step of many to the return of the Clubba Kingdom.